The secret to great wine? Ancient volcanoes
by Max Allen · Australian Financial ReviewMax AllenDrinks columnist
May 8, 2026 – 5.00am
Last year, winemaker Patrick Sullivan made five single-vineyard chardonnays, three from Gippsland, Sullivan’s home base, and two from the Upper Yarra Valley, an hour-or-so’s drive north. The five vineyards differ in many ways, from vine-age to altitude to aspect. Ada River was first planted in the late 1970s, Camp Hill in the late ’90s; Bull Swamp is 100 metres above sea level, Willow Lake is 300 metres. But all are planted in near-identical soils: deep red, iron-rich ferrosols, derived from ancient weathered volcanic basalt.
“That red soil is what I’m chasing,” says Sullivan. “That’s what drives me. I think it’s great for capturing the story you’re trying to tell about each site through the wine grown there.”
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Max AllenDrinks columnistMax Allen is The Australian Financial Review's drinks columnist. He is an award-winning journalist and author who has written about wine and drinks for close to 25 years. Connect with Max on Twitter. Email Max at max@maxallen.com.au
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